Right to conscientious objection not respected
Michael Lyons faces court-martial
A member of the royal navy who objects to the war in Afghanistan is facing imprisonment for ‘disobedience’. Michael Lyons will be court-martialed in Portsmouth on Friday 20 May.
Human rights campaigners say the case shows that the right to conscientious objection is not respected. The hearing falls five days after International Conscientious Objectors’ Day was marked around the world.
Michael Lyons declined to participate in rifle training while applying for discharge due to conscientious objection. His objection was based on both the level of civilian casualties and his belief that British casualties should not be given priority in medical treatment.
The Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection (ACCO) rejected the application in December and declared the objection was ‘political’ rather than ‘moral’(see ‘Armed Forces Bill and human rights’, 14 January). He therefore remains subject to military law.
‘Ninety-five years ago, the UK became the first country in the world to formally recognise the right to conscientious objection,’ said Emma Sangster of Forces Watch, ‘yet this right still exists more in theory than in practice’.
Comments
I am afraid I have to repeat my misgivings about *serving* *soldiers* becoming concientious objectors. We have a volunteer armed service in this country, people are not forced to become fighters. If you object to killing people for a living, do not apply for the job. However, there is also the concern that - as in any job - if somebody realises they shouldn’t be in the job they are in, whether it is killing people or anything else, there should be appropriate mechanisms for that person to leave that job. Where is the equivalent of the line manager or human resources support? I’m sure many people have had jobs where a couple of weeks into it they realised it wasn’t what they thought it was, or realised they were completely unsuited for it. This is a particular concern in the UK where you can join the forces as a naive 16-year-old and be locked into a contract until you are 22.
By jgharston on 20th May 2011 - 22:51
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